#SendAHand for the blind: a 10-second video of your hand can help the blind understand the world better

Hands are what turn blind persons into explorers. With them, they get to touch dear faces to discover what a smile looks like or different objects to explore the world slowly. But life is full of intangible things, to which the blind do not have direct access.

Now you can be the person who gives the blind the freedom to explore, to help them learn more about the world around them. Read on and find out why a 10-second video of your hand can make a visible change!

The blind and the exploration of intangible objects

Intangible objects are objects that cannot be tactilely explored because they cannot be grasped – a block, a tree – or are not in our vicinity – a shark, an elephant. To figure out what objects they cannot touch look like, the blind need the hands and knowledge of another person.

Take, for example, a mosquito. To know what one looks like, a blind person needs the guidance of a specialist. The specialist will take the hand of a blind person into his/her own and give verbal information about the parts of the drawing they are gradually touching: eyes, wings, legs, and so on.

The limitations imposed by the classic exploration process

The dependence of the blind on the hands and knowledge of another person is limiting and considerably slows down the process of exploring and assimilating visual knowledge.

The blind are forced to resort to a complex learning experience if they want to learn more visual stories. It implies tactile graphics – simplified drawings with raised surfaces, and the permanent availability of a specialized, patient, and benevolent person.

The freedom offered by the exploration with a mobile phone

Blind people deserve to be able to realize what the world around them looks like on their own. That’s why we developed the concept of self-describing tactile graphics, which have a QR code attached and can be read by a mobile app.

The app plays the role of the over-the-shoulder specialist – it speaks to the blind and guides their hand on the tactile graphic, giving them independence.

The blind can enjoy independent exploration because of modern technologies and of the fact that smartphones and the Internet are easily accessible.

Why filming your hand matters more than ever

The mobile app that helps the blind discover independently what intangible objects look like is at an initial developmental stage.

We need 3.000 videos of index fingers to make it guide the hand of the blind easily. You can now create a short video and help the blind discover the world around them.

How can you help the blind?

All you need is a phone and 10 seconds. All you have to do is film your index finger as you walk it on a surface such as a desk, mug, or book.

You don’t have to worry about the quality or brightness level of the video. It is important to keep your phone still while you run your finger in the frame. 10 seconds. That’s it.